Magnetism
by twilightdazzle
Summary: No," she snarled. "If you're going to leave again, then I want you to be man enough to say goodbye to my face." In which Sakura is stubborn and Sasuke is conflicted.


Anger, so much unadulterated anger.

It crackled in the air, blazed in the inky dark depths of his eyes, and practically emblazoned the blade of his katana so that the tip nearly scorched the smooth expanse of her throat. His posture was rigid, and his sooty bangs fell forward into the frightening red of his eyes.

From her position on the ground, back supported by a fallen tree trunk and hands pressed into the slightly damp earth, Sakura was shocked by this angle of Sasuke. Not just by the way his facial features looked much more menacing and dangerous with the scarlet of the fading day, but by the absolute….disgust and fury that distorted his striking face. In her eyes, it was heartbreaking and terrifying.

She'd known for years that Sasuke was no longer _the_ Sasuke he once was, ever since that moment he'd tried to kill her four years ago, but it didn't nullify the pang that quivered in her chest in the slightest bit. If anything, it intensified it. And it was odd because Sakura Haruno had never been afraid of Sasuke Uchiha, but she was shaken to the bone by this man, who bore his face and his name but no other likenesses.

And Sasuke too, though he would not admit it aloud, took note of the much changed girl before him. Gone was the baby fat from her face, leaving it mature and (dare he say it) attractive to the eye with its smooth and defined edges. Her body was slimmer, more lean and tight. And her eyes. They were the most transformed of all. There was no cheeky adoration gleaming in their viridian depths but a hard defiance and strength he was unfamiliar with.

But he saw fear. He could smell it. He could taste it. And, usually, he thrived on it.

This time, however, he received nothing. There was actually a light constriction in his chest that he was totally alien with. It just fell flat before him and offered him nothing to boost his advantage in this situation. Because really, he already had the advantage, with him standing before her fallen form and his katana pressed to her throat.

The constant drizzling picked up slightly to a harder tempo, making soft pinging noises on his blade every so often, but her heated stare didn't falter. Though his was apathetic, gazing at her as if she were another rock in his path, she continued to challenge him with her eyes, pulling her bravery passed the other thick cloud of emotions.

"Still so pathetically weak, a failure," he stated, obsidian eyes roaming her battered form in disapproval.

She smirked, the small cut on her cheek stinging slightly at the action. "Really, Sasuke? Because the last I checked I was a top medic and kunoichi in Konoha, and you were a damn missing nin who has ANBU on his trail twenty four seven. Seems like I've been a bit more successful than you."

His eyes narrowed and his grip tightened around the handle until his skin was stretched tight enough across his knuckles to turn them white. The blade applied more pressure to her throat, breaking the smooth skin enough to draw blood. Her pulse kicked up a notch and fingers dug into the loose and slick earth as she stared slightly wide eyed at the spinning tomoes that were his eyes.

"You're pushing it, Sakura. Don't make me," he growled, his threat still sounding suave with his velvety and deep voice. "I'm not here to kill you."

His sight flickered to her throat, watching intently as a thin line of red began to travel down the milky column and as she struggled to control her breathing so that the blade wouldn't be pressed any closer. Oddly, he lessened the pressure he was applying as simple reflex.

She was aching, screaming a desperate need for him throughout her veins, and when he dropped his blade from her throat and took a small step back, her body leaned toward him unconsciously. He continued to stare at her disheveled form along his stupidly perfect nose, water droplets now clinging to the spiked ends of his hair.

"Then what are you here for, Sasuke?" she asked fiercely, the desire for legit answers overpowering her previous fear. "You've killed Itachi. You've completed your goal. What else do you need?"

She had moved slowly onto her knees now, the subtly burning soreness slowing her movements. And as he stared at her, this newfound ferocity and bravery hardening her features, he realized he didn't like her like this. He didn't like the fact that she was on her knees, grungy from the dirt and rain with hair plastered to her face. He didn't like that she was having to act this way. And he didn't like that she was bruised….by him.

"Go home, Sakura," he stated monotonously, sheathing his katana at his side, pretending that he didn't wince at the way her lip trembled slightly.

The rosette felt sick, like any moment she would keel over and release the contents of her stomach into the slick grass. It was so unbelievably excruciating to see him looking at her like that, no glimmer of emotion in his eyes. She was so desperate for him to come home with her, to have him in arms reach that her heart wrenched and twisted anxiously in her chest.

The surrounding forest was full of sound as he turned away from her. Rapid flutters and cries of startled birds burst from the trees as the rain began to fall in a much more steady pace, and the slosh of Sasuke's retreating footsteps ricocheted loudly in the tunnel of her ear. She was so fucking tired of seeing his back.

It was pathetic, the fact that she still loved him with every fiber of her being. She didn't ask for this love sick desperation or abysmal hurt. He had just been _the one, _whether she wanted it or not. Sure, she'd all but flung herself at him when they were younger, driven by girlish fascination and adoration, but love had weaved its way into her heart inadvertently.

And despite all this pain and complexity, she wouldn't wish away her love for anything.

"No," she bit out, springing very ungracefully to her feet and rushing the few steps forward to grasp Sasuke's elbow.

Her attempt to spin him around was in vain, his body not even jerking in the slightest, so she let her hand retain its tight grip instead. His body basically snapped into rigidity at her touch, the sudden course of lava pulsating through his entire arm surprising, but he did stop.

"I want some real answers, Sasuke," she said evenly and sharply. "So start talking dammit."

A growl worked its way into his chest. Why was she always so damn annoying? Always in the fucking way. She didn't realize that with every passing second he began to feel more rooted to the ground, as if his feet were made of lead and taking an insane amount of effort to lift. And the reason resting in the back of his mind wasn't one he was willing to admit.

"Kami Sakura," he snarled, gritting his teeth in frustration and whipping around. His elbow was ripped from her grasp, and she took an involuntary step backward at the piercing coldness of his gaze. "I'm not going to put up with your bullshit."

"Right back at you," the considerably smaller girl spat, surprising even herself with her audacity.

Sasuke resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow and swallowed his outraged cry with the pink haired spitfire before him. He didn't know if his former teammate was either brave or stupid, but his mind and patience were leaning more heavily toward the latter.

"Honestly, Sasuke," she said, her voice dropping its harsh edge but still retaining its determined tone. "Where are you going to go now, huh? What's left for you?"

The question was like an explosion in the small expanse of the clearing the two former colleagues occupied. Like usual, Sasuke didn't answer. This time, however, there was a legitimate reason besides being strictly antisocial and enjoying the irritation of his team.

He didn't know, and though the question had passed by him a fair amount of times, it was always shoved to the deepest confines of his mind and forcibly forgotten. There weren't a lot of things Sasuke Uchiha was afraid of, but that one question rattled his whole system, socking him in the gut with cold fear.

His whole life Sasuke knew exactly where he was going. As a kid, each step he made was to become worthy of his father's time by being a great ninja. After his parents were murdered, his whole life was about becoming strong enough to kill Itachi. And he'd done it, everything he said he would because Uchihas were men of their word. But now….he was utterly and helplessly lost.

But he had never expected Sakura to happen then, here, now. Together, her and Naruto had thrown his plan off balance. For a moment, before he had walked through those gates and left his past behind forever, he had contemplated turning back. Because two faces had popped up into his mind and dropped weights onto his feet, pulling tight strings around his heart and making him falter in his departure.

But then he remembered his parents, his rage, and the utterly despicable being he called his brother. And suddenly Sakura and Naruto seemed a lot smaller than what they were. The thought of returning home reminded him of weakness, of dependence, of emotional welcomings. And Sasuke wasn't ready for any of it yet.

"This conversation is over," he finally responded, voice so sharp and icy that Sakura visibly cringed. And there was that small inkling of guilt in his abdomen again. "Go. Home."

The last two words were said through clenched teeth, and Sakura swallowed down the rising nerves and tears. Why couldn't he see how much she needed him to come home? What was so fucking hard about it? He belonged there, and there were still people who wanted him there. He could be happier there than anywhere else. She would make sure of it.

Crossing her arms over her chest and pursing her lips, she made no indication to retreat or allow him to do so easily. She was so driven by mad desire and sick desperation that she was willing to have him knock her around again if it just meant his cooperation.

Standing only inches away from the glorious expanse of his chest, she could feel the heat radiating off his body like an inferno, basking her entire body in an invigorating warmth. Desire like she had never felt smashed into her figure, and she wondered faintly if it was obvious in the way she leaned toward him and breathed more heavily.

In a blur, he disappeared from her sight, and her neck prickled when she felt his soft breathing on the back of her neck. If it was possible for her heart to cease its beating but for her to remain living, then it happened right there.

Sasuke glanced down upon her, noting the way her shoulders immediately stiffened and the way her breath caught in a way almost painful to him. His chest was grazing her back in the softest touch, but it produced a violent shudder in his body. There was a rip in her shirt that ran from the shirt collar to the graceful curve of her shoulder, and the soft skin beneath it glittered with small droplets. He could practically smell her, despite the heavy scent of rain curling in his nostrils and last beads of sweat clinging to their skin. It was something floral and slightly tangy, so deliciously enticing.

He could practically feel his eyelids becoming heavier and his body separating from his rational mind. Because a cocoon of warmth, despite the rain, had enveloped his body and made his senses simmer with everything that was Sakura. His state of euphoria came to a screeching halt when her head began to turn slightly, and his body snapped back into business.

Pushing back the mad urge to ravage the small sliver of cream colored flesh and fighting down his oncoming hard on, he raised his hand, wondering why he never felt this almost electric pull to any other woman before. Before he could come into contact with her neck, though, his wrist was suddenly in the grasp of small hands, and she was facing him again.

"No," she snarled, though her eyes were soft with the threat of tears. "If you're going to leave again, then I want you to be man enough to say goodbye to my face."

Sasuke blinked once, twice. And for some reason, his throat was constricting, and there was this bubble of biting cold building uncomfortably in his stomach. What was he supposed to say? He was never good at goodbyes. In fact, he'd never had to say one before.

Is this why people hated it? Because there was this awkward strain in the air, and though the words were resting at the tip of their tongue, they had no will to release them. Or maybe they were staring at the most vibrant green eyes ever imaginable, so deep with hurt and desperation that it was like an abysmal hole slowly sucking him in. Oh, what he would give to make the hurt go away.

Sakura allowed two small tears to escape from the corners of her eyes, certain that they would mingle unnoticeably with the rivulets of rain running down her face. But Sasuke had sharp eyes, and his fist clenched involuntarily.

"Please," she said pleadingly, placing her hands on his biceps. He instantly recoiled, as if her mere touch singed his skin, which it nearly felt like it did. Hurt flashed across her face, causing her brow to scrunch a bit. "I know you won't go back for me, but please go back for Naruto. You can avoid me, forget that I'm even there, and that's….that's fine, but it's not fine for him. If there's anyone who deserves it, it's him. He misses you, and I know you miss him too. Just…. do it for him."

She was giving up, he could tell, and he was suddenly angry because her words were so stupid, so unfathomably foolish that he couldn't think straight. Would he go back for Naruto? With Sakura asking him the way she was, then yes. But he would also go back for her in a heartbeat. It was ludicrous, absolutely dumbfounding, for her to think for one second that she wasn't a part of this.

It was a sudden realization, breaking through his defenses and bringing forth suppressed emotions that boiled over into something akin to rage. All that desire for her and that frustration of being away from her finally made itself known, and he didn't care that it broke through his walls.

Sakura's own eyes widened as his began to smolder, morphing from black fire to an angry red, and dread sank deep into the kunoichi's system. So this is the way he wanted it. Why! Why couldn't he just come with her! What was so hard about going back to a place where people love you, about going home? More anguished tears spilled onto her face, and she fought the urge to lower her head and submit. If he was going to kill her, then she would make sure he remembered her face.

As if her body were like his magnet, the pull between them was suddenly too much, and his body all but crashed into hers. Shock met Sakura full force, eyes wide and limbs immobile as Sasuke's mouth moved roughly against hers. This was….real. Her senses were suddenly heightened, every little thing more crisp and clear to her than ever before: the hardness of his chest, his strong fingers pulling her hair, the heat emanating from every single pore in his body.

She was unresponsive, but Sasuke didn't falter the slightest in his movements. He pushed her none to gently against the nearest tree, and to accompany her gasp, tears sprang into her eyes at the rough bark scraping against the skin revealed by the rips of her shirt.

His tongue swerved into her mouth, awaiting no permission and with no hesitation. Despite the rain and the fact that their clothes were damp and clinging to their skin, it was unbearably hot. Sparks of electricity and massive shudders were tearing throughout their bodies, starting at the very point their tongues touched and curling into their stomachs. And it was heavenly.

Finally, his probing tongue managed a reaction out of her, and she allowed hers to tangle sensually with hers. Her slow rhythm didn't manage with his rough, deep kisses, and she was forced to conform to his style.

His body was pressed flush against hers, one of his legs slipping between hers as one of his hands rested against the tree trunk near her head and the other stroked the skin of her hip beneath her shirt. As if her body knew exactly where to go, her hands tangled deep into his dark locks, pushing his head closer and making their kisses more wild, frantic and needy.

As their breaths mingled in heavy pants, bright spots began to dance beneath her eyelids, and it felt like her windpipe was going to burst. Sensing her need for air, he removed his lips from hers, and she sucked in a breath that felt like frigid air burning her throat. A heady moan tore itself from her lips when he suddenly attacked her shoulders with hot lips.

Just the sound made his pants tighten perceptibly, and he pushed his bulge up into her to alleviate some of the pressure. And just like that, she gasped again in response to his erection pressed so intimately against her core and at the raging inferno that formed a ball of hot pressure in her abdomen.

His teeth bit down sharply on the sensitive skin of her collar bone, and she nibbled away at her bottom lip as a slick tongue eased over the bothered flesh and soothed the stinging. The confliction of pleasure and pain was slightly confusing in Sakura's mind, but overall, all she could really think was that it felt….good, no, amazing.

He continued to explore the length of her neck, stopping to hit a sweet spot where her neck met her jaw. A shiver wracked her body, and her hips rolled into his unconsciously. The Uchiha released something that sounded like a mixture of a pained gasp and approving moan, and his nose nuzzled the spot he had currently been attending to. Hot, quick breaths splayed out along her neck, eliciting a soft shudder from the pink haired medic.

Every noise, every little movement made by the panting girl, drove the dark haired young man over the edge. He was filled with this wanton need to hear more from her, to _create_ more of those delicious sounds. The blissful pounding of blood in his veins made everything around him hazy and unreal….except for the girl before him. Pink and green, gasps and moans.

She didn't stop grinding her hips into his, even when his hand began to slip beneath her shirt and slink along her stomach. Jagged bolts of heat flashed through the two ninja's stomachs, and excited butterflies began to flutter around in the rosette's lower abdomen. With every roll of her hips, Sasuke inhaled sharply, and his erection now border lined painful.

As his thumb dipped beneath her sports bra and traced the curve of her breast, she tried to focus on the fact that her core was now afire with a sharp tingling instead of the fact that the grip in her hair was becoming increasingly painful. He tweaked one of her nipples, and a gasp sounded.

She needed more friction, more of his body against hers, more heat. His need was also growing, though more primal than hers. He was pressing her so hard against the bark that it was beginning to cut into her skin, and she whimpered unwillingly at the unpleasant pricking. His head was rushing with so much blood, he didn't hear her and continued to caress the soft mound of flesh in his palm.

It was intoxicating, the burning skin underneath his fingertips and the vibrations of her moans running through his body. Absolutely exhilarating. In a fluid movement, he had Sakura in his arms and lying on the forest floor, the leaf-nin suddenly staring up into the treetops in surprise. He was so fast, so graceful.

The surprise faded abruptly when she felt the ties in front of her shirt being loosened. Her arms instantly raised above her head to allow the missing-nin to remove the garment completely. She shivered at the loss of warmth, or whatever the soaked fabric managed to supply, but had no time to wallow in the discomfort because her breast was suddenly being covered by something very warm…and wet.

Glancing down, she saw only Sasuke's black hair as he hovered over her chest. The erotic sight made her cheeks flame and her stomach do several wild flips. He bit down on the fully distended nipple, and apple green eyes shot open to their fullest. His hands were magical, sliding along her thigh and leaving a trail of burning sparks in their wake. They only stopped at the hem of her short black shorts, only to trace the skin just beneath it.

When Sasuke felt lithe fingers tangle deeply into his hair, he looked up at Sakura beneath the overhang of his dark bangs. Eyes closed in utter ecstasy and lips parted slightly to release soft pants, she was a vision. He was filled with fleeting regret, regret that he hadn't done this sooner, regret that he could have ruined this, her. But he wasn't going to stop.

They were moving in sync, passionately and fast. Sakura almost had trouble keeping up with him, but she didn't utter a word because she was far too lost in her world of euphoria to want to slow down. Dazedly, his shirt was removed and tossed to the side somewhere, and her fingers were immediately tracing the fine contours of his abs. And they were indeed fine.

His eyes fluttered closed at the feel of her butterfly touches scattered across his muscled stomach. He was hovering over her, hands placed on either side of her strewn pink hair, and the girl below him was awed by the sight of him. Sakura suddenly realized that she had never seen him this vulnerable before. Lost in their throes of passion, he had let his face relax, giving him an amazingly softer appearance. The set of his jaw and definition of his cheek bones that proved his transition to manhood now had more of a masculine softness instead of his usual menacing and dark edge. It was beautiful. He was beautiful.

He needed it now. That was the only coherent thought he managed to make out of the jumble running across his mind. The massive bubble of tension and aching pull of his loins was excruciating now, to the point where his actual sight was becoming blurred. He could feel her body quivering with need too, and the static between them crackled and sizzled in the air around them.

Wasting no time, he hooked his thumb through both her shorts and underwear and pulled them down together. Her last form of security left like a rush of cool air shot through her chest. Sakura couldn't ignore the absolutely furious pounding of her heart and rising bubble of panic in her throat. She wasn't a virgin, the result of a very hazy drunken night. But this was….this was tremendously huge. It was the real thing, with the real guy, and nothing in the world could relieve her fear.

He entered her swiftly. She hadn't even noticed him remove his own clothes. And then he didn't waste time and pulled out before slamming back in. The sudden invasion of massive pleasure coerced a grunt from Sasuke and a cry from Sakura. The tight coil in their stomachs tightened and loosened at the same time in a way that made no sense but was amazing all the same. Sasuke's body was all but flattened on hers, providing the friction they so desperately ached for, and Sasuke continued to plunge into her.

Liquid fire rushed through their veins, and the sounds the other made now became mush to their brains. Sakura let her hands drift away from clenching the twigs and leaves on the ground to clenching the tight biceps of her lover. She could feel them ripple as his thrusts gained a more animalistic edge, adding pain into the mix of pleasure that was hounding her.

He was ferocious now, and though he didn't look directly into her eyes, she could see the blazing lust and hunger in his eyes when he cracked them open for a split second. Her spine nearly bowed to the pain. Or was it the pleasure? She couldn't tell anymore.

They were both so caught up in this blissful delirium, that it was with a sudden tidal wave that Sakura recalled that his eyes held lust. Only lust. Was this to distract her? To leave her dazed in the wake of an amazing orgasm and too exhausted to pursue him anymore. Maybe he was just doing this to shut her up and get something good out of it.

Heavily, her eyelids pulled up, and darkened emerald eyes stared up into the green expanse of treetops overhead. Tear like drops fell from the sky, somehow managing to slip through the wide leaves and splash onto her face. Was the sky crying for her?

Here she was, cushioned by a bed of leaves, lying beneath the stars, making love in the rain with the love of her life. How romantic. So why was she worrying? And were they even 'making love'? Or was this just sex? Oh Kami, she wasn't going to cry, was she?

"Sakura." He said her name like it was hard. It was. With the pleasure overriding his system, words weren't exactly easy to form.

She lowered her eyes from gazing overhead, moaning loudly when he hit her deep and sent a coarse bolt up her spine, to meet his heated gaze. His eyes were hooded, teeth gritted in the never ending bought of pleasure, but he was trying to tell her something with his eyes she thought.

They were intent and focused solely on her, burning with something that thrilled and frightened her simultaneously. She realized they hadn't looked eachother in the eye since this thing started, and it was powerful, too powerful almost.

"No," he grunted when her gaze began to shift over his shoulder. "Don't look away from me."

So she didn't. As he continued to drive ruthlessly into her and the pleasure and pain ultimately molded into bliss that was almost other-worldly, his eyes never broke contact. It was almost like her eyes were frozen to his, and that power was suddenly welcomed to her world.

Finally, her body became taut as the coiled spring in her stomach burst apart, bringing with it an unyielding explosion of rapid fire in her stomach that gradually spread like wild fire along her limbs, curling in her toes and tingling in her scalp. She sang for him, his name caught in her mangled cry, as her chest crashed in and the air flew from her lungs as if it had wings.

With a few more thrusts, he met the same fate, a moan tearing from his throat and his mind blanking from the eruption of lava in his stomach. Colored spots danced in his eyes when he shut them, unable to defy the power of his orgasm. But he did manage to see her face contort in pure bliss. And it was wonderful. The rose color of her cheeks and cute scrunch of her brow made her all the more delectable to him.

Collapsing onto the ground beside her, he struggled to catch his breath and welcomed the cool rain onto his heated body. Beside him, Sakura was doing the same, eyes shut contently as she climbed down from her high. Several minutes passed with neither saying a word, and Sasuke was surprised with the fact that it felt natural lying next to her, naked.

Sakura heard him shift, through the pattering of the rain heard him gather his clothes before tossing hers in her direction. Her throat closed difficultly and painfully several times, and she slipped on the garments silently, realizing her assumptions to be true. Tears, thick and large, pooled in her eyes. She avoided his gaze.

It felt so surreal. As she dressed, she even asked herself if they had actually done it, knowing fully well that they had but not quite believing it. The after effects of it still lingered, the shaky legs, the thrilling cold in her chest, and the pulsing of her lips from his kisses. Would it be easier if it wasn't real? Would that make it easier to watch him walk away?

Kneeling in the grass, she readjusted her top so that the ties in the red and white top were now tight and secure. All that burning pleasure and rush of adrenaline had suddenly melted into solemnity and sadness…because he was still leaving and she was still powerless to stop him.

Muscular arms wrapped around her waist suddenly and a face buried itself in her neck. What was he doing?

Sasuke felt the rosette stiffen at his touch. He couldn't help it. He saw the tears glimmering in her eyes and the hunch of her shoulders, and he just felt the need to protect…to comfort. It was instinct. He released a heavy sigh, the rush of air against her wet skin making goose bumps break out along her body. Her head fell back onto his shoulder, her body falling slack against his chest, as she also released a wavering sigh and rested her hands on his.

His fingers traced the length of her arm, lingering a second longer on each wound and scrape that he probably inflicted upon her during their fight. She wasn't close enough, never close enough. He had to know that she was his, not just now but always…forever.

His arms unconsciously tightened their hold around her waist, and she closed her eyes and pretended that this would actually last forever. Oh, if it could. To feel this protected and comfortable, to feel his chest pressed so intimately to her, it was more than pleasant. It was everything.

"I know the direction to Konoha no matter where I am, like a magnet almost," he said, his deep voice surprising her slightly.

A tear plopped onto his arm soundlessly, and he could immediately tell that it wasn't a raindrop. "Does that mean you'll come back later?" She sounded sad and hopeful, heartbreaking.

"No."

His arms slipped from around her and he stood. She didn't move, the jagged pieces of her heart breaking even more.

"I just thought you'd like to know. You could be pretty disoriented after all that I did to you. You're lucky I'm here."

Her head snapped up so fast, she got a short bought of whiplash, eyes wide. He was standing before her, hand extended and a smirk playing at his lips. He looked sexy, hair dripping and falling into his face, which suddenly seemed a lot younger. She blinked before smiling, and his smirk softened in return.

"Cocky bastard," she bantered half heartedly, reaching up to take his hand.

His fingers curled around hers, and her lips attached to his again as if some unknown force pulled them together. They didn't care what because nothing was pulling them apart.

**A/N: Okay so I totally didn't know how to end so yeah….haha. Anyway, it's four in the morning, and I'm sick of writing. Please don't ask why I'm even up. Fucking insomnia. : ) And that totally defeated the purpose of me telling you to not ask why I'm up. The early hours of the morning do this to me. Well, hope you enjoyed. **


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